Best Dishwasher Buyer Guide and Reviews

A new dishwasher can cost anywhere between a few hundreds of dollars to a thousand. Newer models come with so many settings and controls that it is easy to feel lost when comparing appliances. We put together some reviews for the best dishwasher and some tips for choosing the right appliance.

The Best Dishwasher: How We Chose Our Ratings

We used a five-star rating system to rank the dishwashers we selected. These are the criteria we looked at to determine how many stars each appliance received:

Cleaning and drying power. A more expensive dishwasher doesn’t necessarily have more cleaning power. We looked at the technology used to clean dishes, at the quality of the filtration system, and at the drying options.

Settings. The best dishwasher should have different cycles to choose from and should let you customize the wash and dry cycles.

Energy-efficiency. We looked for energy-efficient appliances to help you keep your electricity and water bills down.

Drawers, racks, and baskets. We looked at how much room is available for dishes and silverware, how to load the dishes, and whether or not it is possible to re-arrange or adjust racks.

Noise level. We took the decibel rating of the dishwashers in consideration since a good dishwasher should run quietly.

We Compare the Six Best Dishwashers

These are the six appliances we selected after comparing dishwashers from several manufacturers. Now you can find the best dishwasher for you!

Product

Image

Description

Our Rating

Price

KitchenAid Architect Series II Top Control Dishwasher KDTM354DSS

Features a ProFilter filtration system eliminating the redeposit problem entirely

Frigidaire Front Control Dishwasher FFBD2412SS

EdgeStar BIDW1801SS Built-In Dishwasher

Here's Our Full Reviews Of The Top Six Best Dishwashers

KitchenAid Architect Series II Top Control Dishwasher KDTM354DSS

This 24” dishwasher stands out because of the filtration system and cleaning power. Its design will fit in a modern kitchen thanks to the rounded edges of the appliance.

The ProFilter technology removes food particles during the entire cleaning cycle to keep the water as clean as possible. You will find an upper and a bottom rack inside of the dishwasher. The height of the top rack is adjustable.

ProWash Mode

The cleaning cycles include a ProWash mode. If you choose this option, sensors will detect how dirty the dishes are and adjust the cleaning cycle.

Other options include tough, normal, light, express wash, and rinse only. You can choose secondary options such as top rack only, high temperature, or a sanitizing cycle. This dishwasher will also let you delay the cleaning cycle.

You can find the hidden controls above the door of the appliance. There is an embedded LCD screen you can use to check the status of the dishwasher.

The 43 decibels rating make this dishwasher discreet and quiet. This is one of the best dishwashers in the $600 to $900 price range thanks to the selection of cleaning cycles, the filtration system, and the cleaning power.

Quality

Price

Our Rating​

Pros:

Display on the front is very handy

Holds lots of dishes and has many loading options

Features a ProFilter filtration system eliminating the redeposit problem entirely

Cons:

The only downside is the top rack slides with more noise then some people would like

Kenmore 13473

This Kenmore dishwasher is an ideal choice if you are looking for an appliance between $450 and $600. It features a spray arm that sprays water in two directions and a sensor that will automatically adjust the temperature and amount of water needed.

The controls of this 24” dishwasher can be found on the top edge of the door. There are different wash cycles, including gentle, china, normal, sensor wash, pots and pan, high temperature, and quick wash.

There are additional options available. This dishwasher can sanitize your dishes, perform a quick rinse, and lets you choose between unheated and heated drying. You can delay the start of the wash cycle.

The small display will let you know how much time is left in the wash cycle. The manual filter can be a drawback since you will have to clean it once in a while, but this feature is quieter than a self-cleaning filter.

The appliance has a noise rating of 53 decibels.

On the inside of the dishwasher, you will find a plastic tub and two dish racks with a total of 13 place settings. There is also a removable silverware basket.

You can find this dishwasher in stainless steel finish, black, or white. We liked that this is an Energy Star-certified appliance, and thought the number of wash cycles and options to choose from is interesting considering the price range of this dishwasher.

Quality

Price

Our Rating​

Pros:

Adjustable upper rack

Displays remaining time

Bottom rack is easy for unloading

Has a good number of options and cycles

Cons:

Plastic interior material may not be the best option for some

The spray arm is positioned badly making it hard to remove the dishwasher's filter for cleaning.

EdgeStar DWP62SV

The Whirlpool Tall Tub has 14 place settings for dishes and a separate silverware basket. You can attach this basket to the door of the appliance to save space. There are a top and a bottom rack, but you can’t adjust their height.

The cleaning power of this dishwasher is excellent. There is a soil sensor that will adjust the cleaning cycle as needed, and a high-temperature setting you can select for heavily-soiled dishes.

The filtration system is another remarkable feature. The water goes through a triple filtration system rather than a single filter.

The wash cycles include a heavy and normal cycle, a one-hour wash, and a soak and clean cycle. This is an Energy Star-certified appliance, and you can choose between a heated dry option or a no heat drying cycle to conserve energy.

This is a 24” dishwasher with a noise rating of 55 decibels. Even though other appliances have more wash cycles to choose from and give you more customization options, this is still an excellent dishwasher considering its price in the $350 range.

Quality

Price

Our Rating​

Pros:

choose between a heated dry option or a no heat drying cycle to conserve energy.

EdgeStar BIDW1801SS Built-In Dishwasher

This is one of the best 18” dishwashers we could find. It is pricier than other appliances with its $1,000 price tag, but this is an option worth considering if you want a durable appliance.

The wash cycles of this dishwasher include air dry, glasses, heavy, light, normal, rinse only, and speed wash.

The glasses cycle stands out since most appliances don’t have a cycle for washing glassware with delicate stems.

This dishwasher will put your dishes through a five-step wash cycle with three sprays.

You can fit plenty of dishes inside of this smaller dishwasher thanks to the two racks and silverware basket. You can delay the start of a wash cycle and will find that the hidden controls help this appliance blend in your kitchen.

The 60 decibels rating is probably the main downside of this appliance.​

Buyer's Guide

The best dishwasher depends on what your budget is, how often you will use the appliance, and what kind of dishes you will wash with it. Here are some of the things to consider when comparing dishwashers.

Size

Measure the space available in your kitchen before settling on a dishwasher. You will find appliances with a width and depth of 24” as well as smaller 18” dishwashers. The height of these appliances can usually be adjusted.

Pay attention to how much space is available inside of the appliance. Poorly designed racks can significantly reduce the number of place settings available.

Adjustable racks are a plus. Ideally, you should be able to completely remove the top rack so you can fit larger items such as pots and pans on the bottom shelf.

Settings And Wash Cycles

Most dishwashers have the same basic settings. Some appliances offer additional options and wash cycles.

These are the wash cycles and options you might want to look for:

A pre-rinse cycle if you don’t want to rinse your dishes in the sink before loading your dishwasher.

A heavy scrub setting to avoid having to pre-wash your dishes.

Look for an air dry cycle with no heat to reduce your electricity bills.

A sanitizing cycle is a plus if you use baby bottles.

An appliance with a self-cleaning cycle could be interesting.

You can find dishwashers with soil sensors that will adjust the wash cycle and temperature in function of how dirty the dishes are.

A wash zone feature so you can place heavily-soiled dishes in a specific section of the dishwasher.

If you own china, look for an appliance with a cycle designed to clean these delicate dishes.

A rinse and hold cycle or delay function would be helpful if you want to load your dishwasher without starting a wash cycle right away.

Noise Level

The filtration system of a dishwasher can be noisy, but so can the motor of the appliance. A motor directly mounted on the tub of the dishwasher will make more noise.

You should also look at the insulation of the dishwasher. You can get an idea of how noisy an appliance is by checking its decibel rating.

This might not be the first thing you think about when selecting the best dishwasher, but a noisy appliance will quickly become annoying.

Filtration System

Dishwashers work by spraying hot water and detergent on dishes. The same water is sprayed several times during a wash cycle. It needs to be filtered to get rid of food particles.

You can find appliances with a self-cleaning filter or with a manual filter. Self-cleaning filters grind food particles and make the appliance noisier.

A manual filter doesn’t make any noise, but you will have to remove it and clean it once in a while.

Regardless of the type of filtration system you choose, look for an appliance that continuously runs the water through the filter during the wash cycle.

Energy And Water Use

Look for an Energy Star-certified appliance. A recent dishwasher will probably be more efficient than an older model.

You should also look for a dishwasher with a wash cycle designed to reduce water and electricity use. Appliances with soil sensors should help you keep your bills down since they can automatically adjust the amount of water used and the temperature of the water.

Final Thoughts

You should be able to find the best dishwasher for your needs and budget now that you know more about the features you should look for. Get started by taking a closer look at the six appliances we reviewed to decide if one of them could be your next dishwasher.